12 Fighting E444...

E444 confidently stepped forward with his spear in hand and a smirk on his face. He had heard what the demon instructor had said about Lenny, but as he looked at the skinny and bruised figure before him, he couldn't bring himself to believe it. Lenny was skinny and far smaller than him. Also, he looked beaten and bruised, with a pale complexion that stood in stark contrast to the tanned skin of most half-borns. Also, he looked beaten and bruised.

Maybe it was because he had been in F-class all his life, confined to menial chores and deprived of sunlight, that he preserved his complexion, giving him what would have been considered beautiful skin in the former era of human civilization.

Currently, his body bore marks of his recent encounters, with red patches marring his skin from his struggle with the grim reaper that had been hunting him since his arrival into this world.

E444 snickered as he looked at the exhausted figure before him.

Merely moments ago, he had effortlessly handled four opponents, definitely the small brat in front of him was not going to pose a significant threat.

And indeed, Lenny was in no condition to fight. He was drained from the continuous battles and deprived of the opportunity to even enjoy his meal.

However, the system suddenly presented him with a message:

<Side Quest: Take a bite of your opponent>

<Reward: +10 strength+ increase in HP>

Seeing this took Lenny by surprise. Amidst the whirlwind of events since his arrival in this world, he had not had the opportunity to fully explore the capabilities of the system. Until now, the system had merely assigned him one task after the other each accompanied with its own benefits. But as it stood, this system had been dictating his new life. Truly, he did not like this. Though he harboured a desire to make his choices based on his own opinions, he recognised that if he wanted to grow stronger, he needed to accept the system.

The task laid out before his eyes was to take a bite of his opponent, with the system offering a generous reward of ten points for it and even an increase in his HP. It was obvious that the high point given was attributed to the difficulty and because of how weak and tired he was. A slight smile tugged at the corners of his lips as he acknowledged that this was the Satan System. Naturally, there was no way the tasks given were going to be normal.

Although E444 was evidently weaker than D2022, but that did not mean that the circumstances were the same. For one, his opponent appeared to possess cunning intelligence, evident from the way he handled his spear, which was not taught to him but discovered on his own. Furthermore, the use of weapons was allowed in this fight, adding a new layer of complexity to the encounter.

Potty removed the collar and chain from Lenny's neck with a wicked smile. As a demon, he was not forbidden to kill the stock, but using the blade of a human to teach Lenny a lesson fell within permissible boundaries. It was just like how those rearing chickens would not go around killing their livestock, but then again, fights among chickens in the pen house could result in fatal outcomes.

Potty's long, frog-like tongue licked his lips with anticipation. If Lenny were to die in this fight, then it would be to his benefit. After all, the demons were allowed the opportunity to feast on the meat as a result of internal casualties.

"Pick a weapon of choice!" commanded the demon instructor, drawing the attention of those practicing nearby, who paused their sparing practice to watch the match. Many of them laughed at Lenny. His skeletal frame did not inspire confidence in his abilities.

"Hey, skinny brat!" one of them jeered, hurling a wooden sword and shield towards him. Instinctively, Lenny reached out to catch them, but once again, he had overestimated his strength. The weight of the shield caused him to loose balance and fall to the ground, eliciting more laughter from the gladiators watching. Even Potty couldn't resist a smile at this.

Undeterred by the ridicule, Lenny picked himself up and tried to pick up the shield, but it was too heavy for him. Each attempt raise it was met with resistance, pushing him back down. Laughter echoed through the air, with everyone mocking him. The instructor demon was starting to question whether Potty had lied to him.

In that moment, Lenny's eyes caught sight of a broken sword lying in a corner. Abandoning the shield, he approached the fragmented weapon. 

"Is he giving up already?" One of the gladiators muttered.

However, they watched as he went to the broken sword. Once crafted to resemble a long sword, it now lay in three shattered pieces. Lenny picked up two of the fragments, testing their weight by tossing them up and down. Satisfied with his choice, he returned to face E444.

E444 raised an eyebrow, feeling absolutely insulted by this. The crowd erupted in laughter once again. However, Lenny suddenly took sharp breaths in and out, calming his nerves and preparing his mind for chaos.

At first, even the instructor was laughing, but he suddenly paused. He noticed something vital—Lenny's stance. This demon was not new to fighting. He could see it clearly. After all, gladiators were not taught fighting techniques; they had to grow on their own and find their own fighting style. But Lenny had taken a fighting stance.

The demon looked at Lenny's feet. He could tell that the weight was evenly distributed, yet not quite. It was balanced in a way that allowed for swift attacks, but also in a way that wouldn't let him fall if any leg was hit or if he made a mistake in his steps. Also, his hands were raised high enough to align nicely with his eyes—one in front and the other behind. This was for precision. Lastly, his body arched inward to further reduce his height.

If this demon did not know that Lenny had clearly grown up in this place, he would have concluded that this was a well polished fighting technique...